Legion of Darkness
Legion of Darkness is a limited time Odyssey Event, and the twenty-nineth in the series. It was scheduled to start on October 10, 2014 at 12:00 AM (PDT) and end on October 13, 2014 at 7:59 PM (PDT) __TOC__ Story As the Heroes traipsed through the sprawling meadow of flowers, their path led them to a grisly trail of blood. Though hesitant to follow it, when they did, they encountered a pack of demons. They were covered in open wounds, and in the center was a woman of their kind, carried aloft on a palanquin. The party looked on, the breath caught in their throats. The procession was ominous yet noble, as if they were carrying a saint to a holy land, or a general to a battleﬁeld. Their stoic resolution reminded the Heroes of the ephemerality of such moments, the calm before the storm. "Can't help but wonder where they're headed, huh?" Yvette was similarly stricken, and none felt it was proper to disturb them. Given their apparent morale and injuries, it seemed they would not pose a threat to anyone for the time being. Should they ﬁnish them off? Should they lend their aid? Should they ignore them altogether? As the Heroes struggled to come to a decision, a company of soldiers in heavy arms appeared, moving to contest the demons. Though the impaired fiends were a forced to reckoned with, they were quickly surrounded by the soldiers. "Hey, snap out of it! We gotta go help them!" The Heroes were shocked by Yvette's proposal to save the demons, yet they soon realized her rationale. Though a number of soldiers had been wounded in the fracas, the demons were not ﬁghting to kill. It was obvious who most needed their assistance. "I just... feel sorry for them." Needing no further motivation, the Heroes made for the conflict with all haste. ... "You have my gratitude, humans." After the Heroes had driven off the soldiers, the demon woman stepped from the palanquin and bowed deeply. Though the party had not tarried, only she and two retainers had survived. The others lay lifeless on the ground, faces with expressions of satisfaction, having perished for her sake. "Are you gonna be all right?" The woman's body was covered in gashes, from which oozed blood as red as any human's. "These wounds are of no matter for one of my tribe, though I appreciate your concern, fairy." The Heroes were unsure of how to react to her evident bluff, so they simply changed the subject and asked why they were attacked. The demon woman raised a hand to her mouth and gave a light titter. "You are rather quaint humans. Your kind is rare to provide justification for bringing violence upon us." The Heroes found it difficult to further the conversation, leaving Yvette to fill the silence. "But I can't believe they just attacked you for no reason at all." The woman approached her, bringing their faces close together. "Fairy, it does not matter what pretense is shown. The fact that we are not alike is the root of their aggression." "All right, then. So tell us what the pretense was." "Because we must feed on the flesh of humans to survive." Though the existence of such creatures was not an unfamiliar concept to the party, they were nonetheless shocked by the revelation. "I am quite a powerful demon, despite my appearance. Humans have feared and reviled me as a monster for ages, doing their utmost to ignore my presence. However, this kingdom has changed rulers as of late, and waged war upon my kind. They believe us to be a threat to their dominion and have gone through great lengths to eliminate us." By this point, the haughty demon seemed to have stopped paying heed to Yvette and the Heroes altogether. "They have abducted my daughter and are holding her as a hostage. Though of blood relation she is not, she means a great deal to me. It is why I stole her away from them originally." It was then that Yvette retorted, "Maybe they thought you were fattening her up..." but the woman paid her no mind. "If I do not eat, I shall starve. Wherein lies the sin of ensuring one's existence? And for that, I bear no guilt." She smiled before continuing. "I again offer my appreciation, humans and fairy. It is unnecessary to worry yourselves about me. Now, I must go and offer an entreaty to release my precious one. You, too, should do as you must." After exchanging farewells, the proud, determined woman and her retainers swiftly departed. The Heroes understood that it would be unwise to help her any further, lest more humans become her sustenance. However, they yet sensed a strange desire to accompany her. "What should we do, Heroes?" They gave Yvette a quizzical look. She rarely asked for their thoughts instead of making decisions for them. "At least we'd be saving an innocent girl from an evil king if we helped her out..." A devious look formed on Yvette's face, quickly reminding the Heroes of her distaste for those who abused their authority. They sighed as the fairy yelled with a volume that greatly outmatched her size. "Hey, wait up!" The Woman stopped and turned around, asking what the matter was. Yvette was all too willing to declare their intent. "We don't like the sound of this king, so we're gonna pound the stufﬁng out of him!" "You are curious, indeed." The demon appeared bewildered, yet gladly shook their hands in agreement. The Heroes pledged to do what they could to resolve the situation. Epilogue The Heroes could feel countless bloodthirsty stares piercing their bodies, as if all the world were their enemy. Even considering their past trials, it was small wonder they felt intimidated. The leaden air refused to enter their lungs, and Yvette in particular was desperately struggling to breathe. To detract from the pressure, the party ruminated on how strong Britt had remained. She had been assaulted, beaten, and even had her precious daughter abducted, yet she still stood as firm as a mighty oak tree. "I trust my dear has not been harmed!" Though her voice was certainly not loud, its dignified tone allowed her words to ring clear. The soldiers moved aside, revealing a girl tied to a crude wooden cross, countless tears streaming down her face. It was immediately apparent that she was Britt's daughter. And with his sword to her throat was King Egbert, mounted on his royal steed. The situation was hopeless. Drawn blades and readied bows spread as far as the eye could see. The party had expected to be surrounded when they planned their rescue, yet none were able to devise a plan that ended favorably. As their minds raced, Egbert's horse approached the group, his soldiers closing the gap behind him. The hoofbeats sounded as the footsteps of death itself. Standing before the Heroes, the king assumed a fearless pose and began to speak. "Take ease, dark one. Your whelp is untouched, save for the rope marks..." "You expect me to believe the words of a coward who would detain a helpless girl?" "I expect you to show gratitude. We prevented her from taking her own life on numerous occasions." His arrogance was exceedingly obvious, for she never would have attempted suicide had she not been captured. However, Britt expressed her thanks as suggested, bowing her head. "Hmph, though the parental bond to one not of your blood is touching, my mind is not swayed." Egbert now thrust his sword at Britt's face, mere inches from her nose. Completely stricken by their powerlessness, the Heroes could only observe in silence. "Touching? What nonsense. It is common sense that a parent would give their life to protect their child's." Noble anger tinged Britt's response. Perhaps sensing it, Egbert lowered his blade, expression shaded with slight surprise. It was then that the Heroes impulsively took action. Believing that if they could threaten the king's life, they could easily negotiate the release of Britt's daughter. They intended to grasp the best opportunity that presented itself, yet Britt immediately turned to face them, smiling as she shook her head. "For one who consumes humans, there is no salvation." Britt brutally reminded the Heroes of a fact forgotten in their plight. They grit their teeth, regretting their initial decision to save her. However, they were convinced she did not deserve death. She was a gentle soul, cursed with the need to eat humans, and she even accepted their aid despite being complete strangers. "King of humans. I do not think ill of your actions. You are acting as a ruler must." Britt returned her attention to the king and spoke in a gentler tone, as if a teacher instructing a student. "However, it is not your obligation to decide what is just and what is not. The decision to drive our kind to extinction is the height of folly, and in it, you exhibit no greater wisdom than that of a wild beast." Britt spread her arms wide, gesturing as her gaze swept over their vast numbers. "Look at your magniﬁcent army with your own eyes. A ruler is more than a mindless protector, and they should support their subjects as a parent does their child. Through your actions alone will they come to learn of justice and the path of righteousness, and you will inspire how they live and how they die." Britt ended her speech, and for a moment, only grass rustling in the wind could be heard. Then, King Egbert lowered his head, prompting a stir amongst the troops. The Heroes were finally able to breathe deeply with the heavy sensation of death dispersed. "Whew..." Perhaps exhausted from the tension, Yvette ﬂuttered to the ground, where one of the Heroes picked her up and put her on their shoulder. It seemed as if they would not have to draw any more blood, when a thunderous roar resounded. "You haven't won yet!" Egbert thrust his weapon towards Britt yet again. Though this slight quaver in his grip spoke of his newfound realization, he seemed determined to accomplish his initial objective. "You may speak the truth, which is all the more reason why your life must end! Your very existence cannot be justiﬁed, no matter how much you protest!" Britt was indeed incompatible with humankind. The king's eyes showed the will to protect his kingdom and subjects. If action was necessary, then he would be the one to quell the turmoil. Surely, he understood the weight of eliminating an entire race, and was willing to bear that responsibility alone. It was only then that the Heroes realized the sacriﬁce he was making. "Stay your sword!" Nearly screaming her words, Britt brought a hand to her chest. "Humans, let the death of your enemy's queen be forever engraved upon your souls!" There was no time to react, and even if there had been, it would not have changed the outcome. Britt had reached into herself and crushed her own heart. She screamed in agony as the crimson liquid spilled out. One Hero quickly ran to catch her before she collapsed to the ground. "Heroes... forgive... my impudence..." Blood trickled from her mouth with each syllable, as red as any human's. "To think... it would be humans... who would allow me... to see my daughter again... I am greatly blessed..." With those final words, she closed her eyes and passed away, a contented look upon her face. "H-hey, wait a minute!" Frantic yet dazed by the sudden turn of events, Yvette wobbled up to Britt and weakly slapped her on the cheek. "What happened to being a parent?!" However, Britt's eyes did not open. The Heroes prayed in silence for the safe passage of her soul. Though they believed her death was noble, they hoped they would not have to meet the same end. A throng of demons roved across the plains. Though their burly bodies were far more powerful than a human's, they somehow seemed frail. Egbert had released all but those believed to be the greatest threat to his people. However, the effects of his tyranny could not be reversed. With such deep-rooted animosity, it would prove difficult for the demons and humans within the region to coexist. "Royalty can be a royal pain in the side." The expression on Yvette's face was comprised of exhaustion, melancholy, and chagrin. She looked up at the sky, where the stars had lately made themselves visible regardless of time. "That one star there looks new." "It's an ill omen." A soft, silky voice from behind answered Yvette's question. The party turned around to see a slight woman standing there, her eyes red. It was Britt's adopted daughter, Francette. Though they bore no physical resemblance, her firm stance mirrored her late mother's. "I heard the astrologists speak of the very same star, claiming that it signaled the approaching end of Neotellus. Does it not gleam a little brighter than before?" Returning their gaze skyward, the group agreed with her assessment. "I'm not sure why, but my mother held a strong dislike for that particular star. For someone as detached as her to feel such a way, it must be a grave portent indeed." "Are you feeling okay?" Yvette interrupted her and peered closely at her face. Though she did not appear so, Francette replied that she was fine. "I'm sure if Mother were here now, she would say she couldn't believe she raised such a timid child." "Really, I'm so glad I'm not royalty." Though the Heroes thought she was partially bluffing, it did appear Britt had passed on her admirable qualities to her daughter: strength, positivity, and adaptability. They decided to rest upon the plains and speak to Francette about memories of her mother. It seemed that Britt once had a real daughter that died during a war. Yet as the story continued, with plenty of light-hearted moments, she appeared to be no different from any other parent. After Francette had finished, they gave their farewells and slipped into the band of demons, continuing to their next destination. Chapters/Quests *Encountered every 25 levels after level 100. Individual rewards iOS item collection iOS victory count reward iOS final rankings Lucky ranking rewards Mega lucky ranking rewards Guild rewards iOS guild rankings Boss defeat reward Category:Events Category:Odyssey Events Category:Legion of Darkness